Saturday, July 14, 2018

Hey! This week's wonderful $5.00 album is....

Thumbscrew at the Village Vanguard


Hi there!

Speaking of 'jazz' (well, we will be in a moment), we'd like to take a moment and make sure that everyone on this list, especially folks in the New York City area, are aware of / are reminded about THUMBSCREW's residency at the legendary and legendarily great sounding Village Vanguard next week : July 17-22!

Mary Halvorson (guitar)

Michael Formanek (bass)

Tomas Fujiwara (drums)

Justin Brown - Nyeusi (BIOPHILIA RECORDS 2018)


After years as an essential member of groups led by Ambrose Akinmusire, Thundercat, and Flying Lotus, – he’s also been tapped to round out the sound for Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, Bilal, Vijay Iyer, and many others – Brown is finally ready to extend his reach beyond the drumset to lead his own band, NYEUSI. 

Rounding out NYEUSI are Jason Lindner and Fabian Almazan on keyboards, Burniss Earl Travis on bass, and Mark Shim on electronic wind controller. Brown on drums is the engine propelling an intoxicating synthesis of varying influences that offers deep groove and charged improvisations. “I cannot think of a more highly anticipated debut by an artist right now that is also a lynchpin in today’s creative music scene,” says WBGO’s Simon Rentner.

1. Jupiter's Giant Red Spot 01:48
2. Lesson 1: DANCE 02:31
3. Lots for Nothin' 04:00
4. Waiting (DUSK) 01:18
5. Waiting on Aubade 06:23
6. At Peace (DAWN) 01:02
7. Lesson 2: PLAY 02:27
8. Entering Purgatory 05:18
9. Replenish 02:44
10. FYFO 03:31
11. Circa 45 06:07
12. Burniss 00:32
13. Lindner's in your Body! 02:37


Justin Brown | Drums, Fender Rhodes, Synths, Yamaha DX7
Mark Shim | Wind Controller
Jason Lindner | Moog Synth, Prophet, Mopho, Schoenhut Piano
Fabian Almazan | Fender Rhodes, Mopho, Wurlitzer, Laptop
Burniss Travis | Bass

Brooklyn Recording Studio: June 24 and 25, 2015
Engineer: Andy Taub
Assistant Engineer: Adam Tilzer

Electric Indigo Studios August 15, 2017
Engineer: Jesse Fischer
Assistant Engineer: Morgan Guerin

Mixing: Andy Taub | Tracks 1-8 & 11-13
Mixing: Jess Fischer | Tracks 9-10

Mastering: Colin Girod

Artwork: Roland Nicol
Layout: Aestheticize MediaJustin Brown

Jim Snidero Quartet - While Your Here (RED RECORDS 2018)

A fine post-bop improviser and alto saxman, Jim Snidero is a bit underrated but is well-appreciated by his fellow musicians. He attended the University of North Texas and moved to New York in 1981. Snidero toured and recorded with Jack McDuff, he's been a member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra since the mid-'80s, has worked with the backup bands of Frank Sinatra and Eddie Palmieri, and has spent time playing with the Frank Wess Sextet, the Mel Lewis Orchestra, and the Mingus Big Band. As a leader, Jim Snidero has recorded for the Japanese East World label (1984), Ken, Square Discs, Red, and Criss Cross. He has also recorded as a sideman with Brian Lynch, Conrad Herwig, and Tom Varner, and been active in jazz education both as a teacher and as an author of instructional books. ~ Scott Yanow

1. While Your Here
2. Intimacy
3. A Few To Many
4. Fly Little Birdie
5. State Of Affairs
6. I Concentrate On You
7. I Can't Get Started
8. Front Line

Alto Saxophone – Jim Snidero
Bass – Peter Washington
Drums – Tony Reedus
Piano – Benny Green

Steve Coleman and Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets) PI RECORDINGS August 10, 2018


Steve Coleman and Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets) PI RECORDINGS August 10, 2018

Alto saxophonist Steve Coleman’s Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. I (The Embedded Sets) is his first live release in over 15 years. It captures his band Five Elements in two joyous sets at the historic New York venue where some of the most famous jazz recording from the likes of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Bill Evans have been made. Coleman’s personal history is tied deeply with the club: One of the main reasons he moved to New York City from Chicago was for the opportunity to play in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, of which he was a member from 1978 to 1980. After playing there with singer Abbey Lincoln in 1984, there followed by a hiatus of over 30 years before he was invited to perform at the club as a leader in 2015. Since then, he has led his band Five Elements at the Vanguard every year, including these two sets recorded in May, 2017.

Unlike his two most recent releases, Morphogenesis (NPR Critics Poll #2 album of 2017) and Synovial Joints (New York Times #1 jazz album of 2015), both of which are highly composed and arranged, Coleman’s recent goal has been to compose as spontaneously as possible, often completely extemporaneously. Interspersing the set with tracks that feature these new compositional tactics with long-time Coleman favorites, the musicians tackle Coleman’s typically intricate music with an effortless grace. The band’s mastery over the cross-hatching rhythms, tricky counterpoint and percolating funk, inspired by the magical vibe of the Village Vanguard, is captured here at its absolute peak.


1. Horda 7:35
2, Djw 6:47
3. Little Girl I'll Miss You | Embedded #1 16:53
4. idHw 6:46
5. twf 7:16
6. Figit Time 8:05
7. Nfr 8:06
8. Little Girl I'll Miss You 7:36
9. Change The Guard 7:00
10. rmT | Figit Time 16:18
11. Nfr 9:47
12. idHw 7:42
13. twf 6:36
14. Horda 6:26
15. Embedded #1 6:58
16. Djw 7:34
17. rmT | 9 to 5 14:55

Steve Coleman - alto saxophone
Jonathan Finlayson - trumpet
Miles Okazaki - guitar
Anthony Tidd - bass
Sean Rickman - drums